Sinking, Survival, & Rescue
by deomniallyd
Summary: This is a collection of POVs during Titanic's sinking & on the Carpathia. (Tommy, Fabrizio, Helga, Jack & Rose) The first chapter is during the sinking & the second chapter is the Carpathia rescue. *The first chapter is pretty intense, especially Jack & Rose at the end...we all know how that ends:( PLEASE R&R!
1. Sinking

~Sinking POVs~

Tommy's POV:

_I was standing with Fabrizio trying to get onto a lifeboat, Officer Murdoch had a gun on us. I knew he wasn't going to let us on, only women and children. __I glanced at Fabrizio, he looked lost and heartbroken, he was. He had tried to get Helga and her family to come with us to find boats but her father had refused, and Helga was not about to disobey her father. Fabrizio had been separated from the girl he'd fallen deeply in love with, I felt sorry for him but there was nothing I could do. Or was there?_

_I had to make sure Fabrizio and I survived, I hoped that if we lived he would be reunited with Helga once we were all rescued. But I had no idea where Helga was, hopefully they would be smart enough to save themselves, because Olaf was pretty stupid when he wouldn't let his family follow us. "Would ya let us live ya limey bastard!" I shouted angrily at Murdoch. "Come on give us a chance!" I yelled. _

_I could hear women and children screaming and crying in the distance, men were yelling and screaming for their lives. There was so much panic. I looked up to see a man trying to jump into the boat, Murdoch's face twitched in anger, he reacted on impulse and shot the man on the ropes. The man fell down in a pool of blood. I could barely believe it, an officer just shot an innocent passenger just trying to survive._

_I opened my mouth to say something when I was accidentally pushed forward, Murdoch panicked and pulled his pistol on me. I heard a sharp crack of the gun, then a stabbing pain soared through my upper stomach, I fell backwards. Fabrizio rushed to my side "Tommy! No Tommy!" he begged, shaking me. I could see tears brimming in his eyes, he had already been separated from Helga, he couldn't lose me too. I fought against the pain as Fabri shook me._

_Fabrizio looked up at Murdoch "BASTARDO!" he screamed. Murdoch looked down at me, my blood gushing out all over the deck. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." he mouthed. He looked at a fellow officer and saluted him with one hand, then he switched hands. He had his pistol to the side of his head. "NO WILL" Officer Wilde yelled, Murdoch pulled the trigger and went overboard._

_A few minutes passed, time seemed to freeze, no one near us moved an inch, the lifeboat wasn't even lowered. Everyone was in shock. I was losing too much blood, I had to save Fabrizio. He was still desperately shaking me, I fought to open my eyes. I looked deep into his warm, hazel eyes, "Take me lifebelt, go find your Helga." I told him. He looked like he wanted to protest "Go on!" I croaked. _

_He quickly untied my lifebelt and put it on himself. I could hear him running down the deck. I figured I wasn't going to be saved, but atleast Fabrizio had a better chance now. Just then I noticed Officer Wilde looking down at me, he was going to launch the lifeboat. He came over and picked me up, he put me in the lifeboat. I could hear him talking to someone in the boat "Take care of him." he said._

_I looked up to the face of a lady with goldish gray hair pulled back behind her head, she looked maybe 40. She smiled "It's alright lad, just rest now." she told me. I felt my eyes close, someone put a blanket over me. I could feel the boat gently hit the water. I had been saved, I could get the gunshot wound treated on the Carpathia. I, Tommy Ryan, was going to live._

Fabrizio's POV:

_I ran down the deck with Tommy's lifebelt on. I was heartbroken and terrified. I wanted to find Helga, if I could just see her angelic face even one last time. I was incredibly sad for Tommy, I'd be eternally grateful to him for trying to save my life when he figured he wouldn't make it. All of a sudden I heard a man shout "I need a knife I need a knife!" I had a knife._

_I ran over, several men were trying to cut down a lifeboat. "Oh thank you kind sir!" one of the men shouted. I said nothing, I climbed the ropes and began to cut at the ropes furiously. I could hear people panicking as they ran to the stern of the ship, oh how badly I wanted to be holding Helga safely in my arms right now. I wanted to hold her and keep her safe and warm, I prayed that her family would protect her. I was so deeply in love with her that when I left her I felt as though my heart completely broke into millions of pieces._

_I had cut the first rope loose, I stepped over to cut the other one when I slipped and fell into the water. It was freezing cold, I felt like I had just been punched in the chest. I tried to get back up but the current was too strong, I was swept into the ocean. Now my whole body except for my head was under water, I could barely breathe. I kept swimming, I thought of my sweet, sweet Helga._

_The suction was so strong, it kept pulling me back. The more I fought it the stronger it pulled at me. As I swam I wondered what had happened to Jack and Rose. I hoped that they were okay, I hoped Jack had gotten Rose safely into a lifeboat. I hoped Helga and her mother had gotten into a lifeboat. I prayed that I would be able to see her again._

_Just then the current yanked me into an open porthole, I reached up and pushed against the side of the ship with all of my might. I managed to swim away from it again, I swam and swam as far away as I could from the sinking ship. I had to get into a lifeboat, one way or another, I had to survive. I was surrounded by screaming, suffering, innocent people scared for their lives._

_It was becoming incredibly difficult to breathe, the water was so cold. I was fighting the urge to just get up, it was my destiny to go to America , I had to survive. I kept telling myself I had to keep going, do it for Helga, do it for Helga, I repeated this over and over in my head. _

_Right now I hated Helga's father, he should have followed us! Why didn't he follow us? I knew that I had to calm down, I tried to think of a way to defend what Olaf Dahl did or I'd strangle him if I ever saw him again. He put his daughter, my love, in danger. I reasoned with myself, I knew Olaf barely spoke English past a few words as did his wife and Helga when I first met her._

_I had helped Helga improve her English enough that she could understand atleast most of what I was saying but her parents could still barely understand anything that wasn't in Norwegian. I figured that he couldn't really understand me, maybe Helga thought I was saying something else and she translated the wrong thing. Maybe they thought I was only taking Helga and didn't want to be separated from their only daughter, I didn't blame them._

_But in reality I was trying to take all of them. I decided to forgive Mr. and Mrs. Dahl, they were still Helga's parents and I knew she loved them. All of a sudden I heard a loud squeaking sound of metal splitting. Everything around me got darker, I looked up to see the first funnel. It was going to fall right on top of me!_

_Oh dio mio, I prayed. I jumped and put my arms over my head, the funnel came crashing down in front of me. It had just missed me. Just then a wave pushed me violently backwards, the wind was knocked out of me once again. I caught my breath and realized I was now really close to a lifeboat. I had to get on it. I didn't know how much longer I could stay in this water._

_I swam over, a man in a tuxedo was standing up swatting people off. I swam over "Per...favor...I have...to get...to America." I panted. The man had cold brown eyes and he stared down at me as though I was nothing more than a rat. "NO YOU'LL SWAMP US!" he yelled swatting at me and several others._

_I looked up at him "Please." I asked. I tried to climb on, just then he swung his oar. He cracked it against the side of my head, I felt a sharp, nearly unbearable pain. The water was so cold. "Please." I begged weakly. As I looked at the man I recognized him, it was that Cal guy, Rose's ex-fiancee. My vision became suddenly blurry, then everything faded to black. _

_He had knocked me unconscious. Just then I felt myself being lifted into the boat and laid down. "Don't thank me, I'm only doing this to clear my conscience." Cal whispered to me. _

_I wasn't going to thank him anyway, he was the reason I was unconscious in the first place. Jack told me what a jerk he was and now I believe it too. Well as long as I was safe now I didn't care if Cal wanted to be a jerk. As I lay in my unconscious state I dreamed of being with Helga.  
__I was going to be okay. I was safe. I was going to America. _

Helga's POV:

_We hadn't managed to make it to a boat. We were too late because Pappa wouldn't let us go with Fabrizio. Instead we made our way up to the stern of the ship and clung to the rail. Pappa held me tightly, I felt safe in his arms. I could feel hot tears burning in my eyes, I was heartbroken because Pappa wouldn't let us follow Fabrizio, I desperately wished he and Pappa were both holding me right now._

_I loved Fabrizio, I really did. It had only been a few days but it was love at first sight, now I couldn't imagine being able to love another man as much as I had come to love Fabrizio. I looked over at Pappa, I was so scared. He kissed my cheek softly and told me that everything was going to be alright. I wanted to trust him but the ship was sinking quickly and there was so much panic._

_I knew that if I survived this I'd have nightmares forever. I heard Pappa talking to Mamma, he was holding her with his other arm. Titanic was almost completely vertical now and sinking quickly. People were all huddled together, so much panic. It was so sad. Children clung to their mothers, men hugged their wives, so, so sad. I looked up to see Jack and Rose, Rose looked at me sadly, I envied her. She was safely in Jack's arms, but I had no idea what had happened to Fabrizio._

_How desperately I wanted Fabrizio to come and sweep me off my feet, to come rescue me and tell me everything was okay as he kissed me, to take me far, far away from here to a fantasy land up in the sky. I was being stupid, I knew that it wouldn't happen. I didn't even know where Fabrizio was or if I'd even see him again._

_All of a sudden Titanic completely spit in half. We were all plunged downwards, I screamed at the top of my lungs. Pappa was still holding me tightly. "Jeg nei let go av du." he reassured me. _

_The stern just stayed still in the water for a few seconds, then it began to go vertical again. We were lifted upwards again, people were beginning to climb over the rail. Now the stern was rising quickly, we were nearly vertical. My palms were sweaty, my grip was loosening by the second._

_Just then the worst thing that could have happened to me at that second happened, Pappa fell. I screamed, I looked over at Mamma. "OLAF!" she cried. She reached downwards as to say 'Don't go', she was only holding on with one hand now, she lost her grip as soon as she reached for Pappa. I watched Mamma fall too, I screamed again._

_Tears streamed down my face rapidly, I was all alone now. The comfort I had when I was Pappa's arms faded away. Had I just lost everything? Without Pappa's support I wasn't strong enough to hold myself up, I was going to fall too. My grip was loosening quickly. I took one last glance up at Jack and Rose, they had climbed over the rail and were staring at me._

_I wanted to ask about Fabrizio, I wanted to know if he was okay. I was going to fall now, I desperately wished I could tell Fabrizio how much I loved him just one last time. I wasn't ready to die. Jesus I himmelen..please, I prayed. I lost my grip, I could feel myself falling through the air. I screamed and screamed for help at the top of my lungs. I fell into the forward rail gate just like my parents had before me._

_I felt myself hit something that wasn't hard, but wasn't particularly soft either. It was a person. It was Pappa. He was alive and looking at me. "Oh Helga min dyrebare datter!" he hugged me close to him. I felt a surge of relief wash over me, I was safely in Pappa's arms, we had survived the fall. _

_I looked into Pappa's soft blue eyes "Pappa, hvor er Mamma?" I asked. He smiled and I heard a voice behind me, "Oh Helga!" Mamma's voice cried. I turned around and Mamma scooted closer to us, she joined Pappa in hugging me. I was relieved to have both Mamma and Pappa back holding me, but that only solved one of my problems, Titanic was still sinking, and we still weren't exactly safe._

_We held on as Titanic sank, there were seconds remaining. Pappa's eyes were big, he quickly told Mamma and me to hold our breath. Titanic was about to go under. "NÅ!" Pappa yelled. We all inhaled deeply and held our breath. We were plunged with hundreds of others into the freezing, Northern Atlantic. _

_The water was freezing, absolutely freezing. We were under water, I was holding Mamma and Pappa's hands tightly. The suction was so strong as it tried to tear us apart, but we stayed together and bobbed back up to the surface. Pappa had a wild look in his eyes "Vi går for båter nå!" he yelled that we needed to get onto a boat._

_As I looked around several boats were floating nearby, we would try to swim to one. I wondered why hardly anyone else was trying to swim and get on a boat, they were all just shouting for the boats to come back. I figured the boats would come back eventually, but we decided we didn't want to wait that long, and that decision saved our lives._

_The water was so freezing cold and I shivered badly, Pappa put me on his shoulders and we started swimming towards one of the collapsibles that was nearby, Mamma followed. We swam up to the lifeboat "STOPP!" Pappa yelled. The people in the boat turned around, they stopped. All of the people in the boat were people I recognized from steerage._

_They helped us on, we were given a large blanket. "Here ya go." An elderly Irish lady said. Pappa thanked her, we all huddled together. A few minutes later our boat picked up a few more people who swam up, they didn't mind picking up a few more because there were only a few people who even thought to swim to boats instead of wait for them so the boat wouldn't get swamped._

_I felt relieved, so, so relieved. I was safely between Mamma and Pappa, but still I was heartbroken. I missed Fabrizio, I wanted to know if he was okay so badly, I wanted to see him and kiss him and tell him how much I loved him, how much I needed him._

Jack/Rose's POV:

Jack:

_Titanic was about to go under, I looked over at Rose. She looked terrified, heck, I was terrified! But I couldn't tell Rose that, I needed her to trust me. "The ship's gonna suck us down, hold your breath when I say, kick for the surface and keep kicking! Do not let go of my hand!" I told her. We were being plunged downwards faster and faster. __I could hear the screams below us as we were about to be sucked down into the dark blackish blue ocean. _

Rose:

_I watched in shock and horror at the ocean that was about to completely consume us. I repeated Jack's instructions over and over in my head, I wasn't ready for this. I was so scared, but Jack was by my side holding my hand. I almost wished now that I had gotten into a lifeboat but I knew I'd rather be with Jack. _

_"We're gonna make it Rose, trust me!" Jack yells. I nod my head "I trust you!" I yell back. I dared to look down, the ocean was ready to take us now. I could feel the suction getting stronger. I glanced at Jack, he was getting ready to hold his breath. "1-2-3-NOW!" Jack yells inhaling deeply. I inhale quickly and hold my breath as we are plunged into the ocean. Oh God._

Jack:

_The water is freezing, we are sucked under water. I hold Rose's hand tightly, but try as I might she is ripped away from me. I feel for her under water, I know she must be terrified. _

_I wanted to find her hand, I wanted to hold it and tell her everything would be okay. I search blindly for her under the water. I can't find her so I come up to the surface. Hundreds upon hundreds of innocent people are in the water, screaming, yelling, and crying. So desperate to survive._

_I think of my friends, what had happened to Fabrizio? To Tommy? To Helga's family? To the Gundersons? The water is so unbearably cold, colder than when I fell through the thin ice on Lake Wissota. _

Rose:

_I feel for Jack, his hand is nowhere to be found. I come up to the surface, I've never been so cold in my life. I'm gasping for air, it's so hard to even breathe. I scream for Jack. All of a sudden I feel myself being dunked under water. Oh no, someone's trying to drown me in the panic! I desperately wish Jack would hurry up and find me, it's impossible to breathe down here._

_I come back up, I can't miss this oppurtunity. "JACK!" I scream as loud as my lungs will allow me to. "JACK!" I scream again before I'm once again dunked under. Oh please Jack, where are you? _

_As I'm under water I can see what might be debris from the wreck floating downwards, it looks like a broken plate and someone's wrist watch. I have to get back to the surface, I try to fight the panicked man who's dunking me. He's trying to get my lifebelt off. _

Jack:

_I don't see Rose anywhere, I swim through clusters of panicked people. I have to find Rose. I have to find her, there's no way she will survive by herself, she needs me. I fight against the cold, the freezing cold that's slowly freezing my heart. "ROSE!" I yell for her._

_All of a sudden I hear her scream my name. "JACK!" I follow her voice and swim to her. I see her being repeatedly dunked under water by a man trying to take off her lifebelt. Oh no! I quickly swim "Hey! Get off her!" I yell splashing water at the man furiously._

Rose:

_The man swims away and Jack grabs me close to him. "SWIM ROSE, I NEED YOU TO SWIM!" He yells at me as he pulls me along with him. I swim, it's so bitter cold. "Come on I know you can do it!" he tells me. I swim as fast as I can, the faster I swim the more heat is generated. _

_Jack seems to be looking for something, probably something to stay afloat on. "Over here!" Jack pulls me with him. There's a door, one of the doors from the first class enterance. _

_He helps me onto it then tries to get on himself. It flips over and Jack and I flip back into the freezing ocean, I scream. We catch our breath "Alright, you get back on." Jack tells me. I get on and tell him to get back on too, but he refuses because he says it won't hold us both._

Jack:

_I know the door won't hold Rose and I both so I had her get on it. I swore to protect her, to keep her safe. The water is so cold I can feel it slowly but surely freezing my internal organs. I look at Rose, every breath she takes is a puff of white smoke. _

_Her lips are practically purple, I guess mine probably are too. She looks so scared, I attempt to ease her fear. "Just hold on a little bit longer, the boats will be coming back for us, they had to row away from the suction but now they'll be coming back for us." I tell her. _

Rose:

_I clutch Jack's hand tightly and nod. I want to believe him but I can't help wondering if they really will come back or not. We just wait. Time passes, it feels like an eternity. Most of the screaming and yelling has died down, most of the people probably finally gave into the hypothermia from the cold water. I feel an overwhelming sadness wash over me as I realize we are surrounded by hundreds of dead bodies._

_"It's getting quiet..." I say. Jack looks up at me "Just a few more minutes...it will take them a little while to get...the boats...organized." he stutters. He's so cold. I lay back and look up at the peaceful night sky, somehow it comforts me._

Jack:

_Every breath I take becomes more of a chore each time. I can feel my lungs closing, I don't know how much longer I can take this. I realize I'm probably not going to make it to America after all, but I don't tell Rose that. Instead I try to make light of the situation "I don't know about you...but I...intend...to...write a...strongly worded letter...to the ...White...Star...Line...about all this." I stammer. Rose is silent, she just looks at me._

_"I love you Jack." she says. Oh no, she's giving up! I can't let her do that. "Don't you do that Rose, don't you say your goodbyes, not yet do you understand me?" I ask her sternly. She just looks at me "I'm so cold." she says. "Listen to me Rose, you're gonna get out of here you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?" I ask her._

_"I...I can't feel...my body." she stutters. I can't let her just quit now, I can't do that. "Rose, winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me...it brought me to you...and I'm grateful for that Rose. I'm thankful, so you must do me this honor, promise me that you'll survive...that you won't...give up...no matter what...happens...no matter how..hopeless. Promise me now, Rose...and never let go of that promise." I say._

Rose:

_Jack is saying goodbye to me now. I can feel the tears burning in my eyes, I don't want to make him that promise, I want to stay with him, I want to die too. "Never let go." he says. I gulp down my tears "I'll never let go." I say weakly._

_He smiles at me, I'm still holding his hand. "One more thing Rose." he says. I look at him "If you go to the Santa...Monica Pier...look up...my old...friend...John...Calvert...he's really...nice...he'll show ya...around the pier...he can...show you how...to ride the horses..." he tells me. I look into Jack's sad blue green eyes "Please don't leave me Jack." I say._

_He smiles sadly "Just rest, we'll see..." he drifts off. I lay down and look up at the sky again, I don't why it comforts me so. Then I wonder if my father is watching me, somehow telling me that everything will be alright. _

_More time passes. I sing 'Come Josephine' to pass the time until the boats come back. All of a sudden I hear officers in the distance, they are coming back for us. I feel somewhat relieved._

Jack:

_I'm so cold. Finally the hypothermia takes me, my internal organs are frozen. My spirit leaves my body, I look down at Rose with a sad smile. She will soon discover that I had indeed passed away, she will be devastated but she will go on, she'll be okay. _

_She will survive, I will make sure of it. I am her guardian angel. She shakes my body "Jack! Jack there's a boat!" she says hoarsely. My body is still and she shakes me violently, tears stream down her face._

Rose:

_I know Jack is dead but I refuse to believe it. I keep shaking him, nothing happens. Burning tears run down from my eyes. Oh Jack, please no Jack. Oh how I longed for him, I was so deeply in love with him. But he was gone, and there was nothing I could do. _

_I kiss his hand gently and pry it off of mine. "Will you say hello to my father for me?" I ask him. I wonder if his spirit can hear me._

Jack:

_I can hear her. Of course I'll say hello to your dad for you Rose, I'll do anything for you Rose. I watch as she suffers, she so desperately wants me to come back. But I can't, but I will always watch over her. I will always be with you Rose, even when you don't know it, I'll always protect you._

Rose:

_"I'll never let go." I say. I let go of his hands. I watch as Jack Dawson, my one true love, my soulmate, sinks down to the bottom of the frigid Northern Atlantic. My heart is broken into billions of tiny, pieces beyond repair. I weep for him silently, my life as I know it is over. _

_I hear the officers in the distance yelling for any signs of life. I don't respond, I want to die too and be with Jack. But I know I can't do that, I made him a promise. I hop off the door, the frigid water hits me like a hundred swords as I swim to the frozen body of Officer Wilde._

_The officers are leaving, I can't let them get too far away. I take Officer Wilde's whistle and blow into it repeatedly louder and louder. Officer Lowe shouts "COME ABOUT!" I blow even louder. _

_A few minutes later they come for me. "It's alright miss, there we go miss." Officer Lowe is helping me into the boat. Another officer drapes a blanket over me and lays me down. _

_We row away towards the Carpathia, I see Officer Lowe waving his flashlight around as he looks for more survivors. As I lay in the boat I wonder about mother and Cal, I wonder about Jack's friends. _


	2. Rescue

~Rescue POVs~

Tommy's POV:

_I can feel the warm rays of the morning sunlight shining on me. I squint, the lady from last night is still staring at me. "How are ya feelin' this morning?" she asks me. I nod my head weakly "I'll manage." I reply. She laughs "Alright lad, the Carpathia should be here soon and they'll clean that gunshot right up." _

_I sit up in the lifeboat, my stomach hurts terribly. Not like your average stomach ache, from the gunshot. I can see a large ship coming towards us in the distance. My mind begins to wander, I want to know what happened to Fabrizio and Jack. I hoped Fabrizio was able to find Helga. I look back at the lady "X 'cuse me ma'am but is that the Carpathia?" I ask pointing._

_She looks ahead squinting. "Ah! That's it, it has to be!" She's smiling. I lay back down and clutch my stomach. I can't wait until it gets here, the sooner I get this bandaged up the better._

Fabrizio's POV:

_I wake up to the sun in my eyes. The last thing I remember is the sinking and being hit in the head with the oar. I remember I was knocked unconscious by that Cal guy but I don't remember anything that happened while I was passed out._

_I run my hands through my hair, the left side of my head feels wet and sticky. I take my hand away, it's all bloody. I look up at Cal, he's sharing some water with a few other men on the boat. I pull his sleeve. _

_He looks down at me with disgust. "What?" he asks. "You figlio di puttana! You hit me with 'da oar!" I yell, punching his arm. He scoffs and turns away, I yank his sleeve, nearly ripping it off. "WHAT?!" He turns again. "You a' have no right to swat people off like that, you no own this lifeboat! A' look what you did!" I point to my head._

_He smirks at me "And what are you going to do about it?" he asks. I shake my head, I'm not going to start a fight with this idiot right now. I need to get my head bandaged first and I'm tired. I lay back down and think about Helga. I would be the happiest man in the world if I could see her again. I also wonder what happened to Jack, Rose, and I can't help wonder if somehow Tommy could have survived._

Helga's POV:

_I'm dreaming that I'm with Fabrizio, we are out in the middle of a corn field looking up at the clouds. It's just us. He looks at me and tells me that he loves me, I tell him that I love him too and he kisses me. I'm laying next to him with my head resting on his arm, it's so warm and cozy as he holds me. I feel so safe, warm, and happy. _

_All of a sudden Pappa nudges me gently, Fabrizio's face dissappears. I sigh and squint awake. "Hva Pappa?" I ask, rubbing my eyes. I was laying against Pappa's shoulder. "Helga...look." He points out into the distance._

_The Carpathia is coming for us, I feel relieved. I turn to see Mamma resting on Pappa's other shoulder. I gently reach into one of her apron pockets and pull out a few hairpins. I pin my hair up to get it out of the way. _

_I notice Pappa is looking at me sadly. "Hva er det Pappa?" I ask him. He looks at me and gently caresses my face "Du dream av...Fabrizio?" he asks me. I nod "Ja." He gently takes my hand "Jeg beklager." he says. He's apologizing for not listening and following Fabrizio, he feels bad that he separated us. "Det er greit Pappa." I forgive him._

_He smiles "Oh Helga min dyrebare datter, jeg elsker deg." he hugs me close to him. _

Rose's POV:

_I know the sun is shining brightly down on me, but I don't open my eyes. I don't want to know where I am or what I'm doing, I just want to keep laying here. Keep thinking about Jack. I can't believe that Jack is really gone._

_I keep trying to convince myself that last night was all I dream, but I knew deep down that it was all real. I wondered what I'd do now, I couldn't go back to Cal, I didn't want to marry that jerk. But not going back to Cal meant leaving my mother too, could I really do that? My mother was the one person I'd known my entire life, as frigid and selfish as she was, I knew that she loved me._

_But she was going to force me to marry Cal, could I risk that? She probably thinks I drowned, should I confront her one last time or just let her grieve? I decided to wait and see if Cal finds me first, I decided that I'd hide down in steerage. He wouldn't think to look for me down there, would he? Also, I wanted to see what had become of Jack's friends._

Tommy's POV:

_Finally Carpathia arrives and I'm lifted up. They take me straight to the infirmary so they can treat my gunshot wound. I'm placed in a hospital bed, several nurses immediately rush to my side. _

_They take my temperature and feel my pulse, then they look at the gunshot wound. "Jennie, the bullet's still in there, go and get Doctor Lengyel." One of the nurses says to another nurse. The nurse who responded to "Jennie" walks off to find the doctor. _

_The first nurse looks at me, "Name sir?" she asks. "Tommy, Thomas Ryan." I reply. She makes a check on her clipboard "Thank you, Doctor Lengyel will be right in." I lay back in the bed, the pillow is so fluffy and soft. I look down at the large blood stain on my shirt, I cringe. That's going to hurt when they remove it._

_Soon enough the doctor comes in and sits down next to me. He has some sort of Slavic accent and introduces himself as Doctor Arpad Lengyel. He has a brown mustache and kind hazel eyes. he smiles at me and pulls on his gloves._

_The nurse named Jennie comes back and hands the doctor some tools. She looks at me "This may hurt a tad Mr. Ryan." she warns. I nod and inhale deeply, the doctor carefully removes the bullet. It hurts but goes quickly. _

_When it's over the doctor cleans up the area around the wound and bandages me up. Nurse Jennie smiles at me "Just rest now Mr. Ryan, just call one of us nurses when you think you're feeling a little better."_

_I nod and lay down, I lay awake and stare at the ceiling._

Fabrizio's POV:

_I'm helped onto the Carpathia and taken right to the infirmary. They lay me down in a bed. The doctor comes up and introduces himself. "Arpad Lengyel." I shake his hand. He examines the gash on my head, he tells me it's nothing serious. I'm relieved. _

_He leaves and the nurses quickly clean the gash and put a gauze bandage over the area. "There you go." One of the nurses tells me. "Grazie." I reply. Another nurse with a clipboard asks me "Name sir?" I smile "Fabrizio De Rossi." She checks her list. "Sir, you aren't on this list." she says._

_I chuckle "I'm sorry a' check Sven Gunderson, a' my friend won our tickets from two Swedish guys in a pub." I tell her. She checks again "Gunderson comma Sven A." she says. I nod, she laughs and checks my name off._

_"Well Mr. De Rossi rest for a while if you think you need it, otherwise you're free to go." she tells me. I get up, I want to go and look for Helga. As I'm leaving I pass a bed, I step back and do a double take. It's Tommy. I rush over._

_"Tommy!" I say with excitement and relief. Tommy turns to face me "Ah Fabri! Well I'll be damned! So ya found Helga?" he says. I smile and shake my head "I am a' so glad to see you, and a' grazie you a' really helped me out with that lifebelt. I a' haven't seen Helga but I'm a' gonna go try and find her."_

Tommy's POV:

_I'm overjoyed to see Fabrizio's smiling face. Then I notice his head is bandaged, "What's with the bandage?" I ask him. Fabrizio nods "Ah that Cal guy, a' Rose's ex-fiancee I was a' trying to get in one a' the collapsibles and he was a' standing up whacking people off, the figlio di puttana whack me in the side a' the head!" he says angrily, his fist is clenched._

_"Whatta jerk." I say. That Cal guy is a real arsehole piece a shite if I ever saw one. Fabrizio nods "If I ever see that figlio di puttana again I'm a' gonna strangle him!" he says. I laugh. _

_"Well I'll be out soon why don't ya go look fer Helga, I know ya wanna." I say. Fabrizio grins "Oh si Tommy I a' want to see her so bad, I wanna hold her and kiss her and..." I hold up my hand to stop him. "I can live without the lovey dovey details there Fabri." I tell him. Fabrizio blushes. "I see you later." he says and walks out._

_I really do hope he's reunited with Helga, I must admit for nearly opposite ethnicities they make a cute couple._

Fabrizio's POV:

_I walk outside and scan the deck. Oh what I would give to hold Helga again. I can see ladies some younger some older holding and comforting crying children, I can also see a few men either walking around aimlessly or comforting their wives, girlfriends, and children._

_Everyone looks cold, wet, and miserable. I didn't blame them, we had all just barely survived something extremely scary, and devastating. I keep searching the deck for people I know, But mostly my mind is on Helga._

Helga's POV:

_When we board the Carpathia we are given blankets and hot tea. Pappa tells Mamma and me to go sit down and he'll be there in a minute. Mamma walks me to a bench and we sit, she hugs me close to her. Being in Mamma's arms gives me so much comfort, I know I can confide in her. I let the tears that I'd been holding in spill from my eyes onto Mamma's shawl._

_"Helga...shh." she gently rubs my back. She kisses me softly on the top of the head, she tells me that everything will be okay. I can't take it anymore, I just need to know what happened to Fabrizio, I doubt I will ever see him again. That doubt is what is making me weep uncontrollably._

_Mamma lifts my face off of her gently and looks into my eyes. She caresses my face gently and begins to sing the Norwegian lullaby she used to sing to me when I was little and got scared at night._

_"Mamma...Fabrizio..." I choke. She shushes me again and lets me lay back against her shoulder again. I keep praying that Fabrizio had survived and would come find me._

Fabrizio's POV:

_As I scan the deck I notice a man standing against the rail looking out at the ocean. It's Olaf Dahl, Helga's father. Suddenly I feel a sense of hope and I shift my gaze to a nearby bench. I can see a lady with graying blond hair comforting her crying daughter. I try to listen to what they are saying, all of the sudden I realize this lady is speaking to her daughter in Norwegian._

_Could it be? The lady has graying blond hair pulled back into a bun, Mrs. Dahl has graying blond hair in a bun. They are speaking Norwegian, the Dahls are Norwegian. But why is Helga crying? Then it hits me. She probably figures I didn't make it._

_I have to go to her now, I want to hold her as she cries and cries, I want to tell her that I'm here now and I'll never leave her again. I run over to the bench, it's definitely Mrs. Dahl and Helga._

_"Oh Helga mamma mia it's a' really you!" I yell. Helga looks up, her eyes are crusty and red. She squints and stares at me for a second, her sad expression turns into one of relief and happiness. A wide smile spreads across her face, she runs to me and jumps into my arms. She kisses me all over my face as she mumbles in rapid Norwegian._

_"Oh Helga I never leave you again, I love you so much my sweet angel!" I say. I can feel her tears soaking through my thin shirt, I smile and hold her. I notice Mrs. Dahl and Olaf are smiling. She looks at me and we kiss._

_I really can't stop smiling and I tell her she makes me the happiest man on Earth. She notices my head injury and frowns, she kisses my head. I smile and tell her that it's nothing, it doesn't really even hurt that much anymore._

Helga's POV:

_I can't stop crying, I'm so happy and relieved. Fabrizio's okay and he's holding me, he tells me he loves me and says I'm his angel. I know now that everything really is going to be okay. I look up into his eyes and we kiss. _

_It's so warm and comforting. He pulls away and stares deeply into my eyes, I stare deeply back into his. Is this real? Am I dreaming again? Fabrizio can't stop smiling, he looks so happy. "Oh Helga I love you, I love you! A' holding you here right now makes me happiest man on Earth!" he says. I smile as I choke back more tears. __I notice his head is all bandaged, I kiss it. He smiles "Oh this? Oh it's a' nothing you a' don't worry I be okay." he tells me. _

_"Oh Fabrizio, jeg elsker deg så mye!" I tell him how much I love him. He gently caresses my face "Me too Helga, I swear I never ever leave you again ever!" he says. I rest my face in his shirt again, it's impossible to stop the flow of tears._

_He picks my face up slowly and wipes my tears away with his finger. "Shh is okay my angel." he tells me. I know everything is okay now, I know everything will always be okay._

_"Oh Fabrizio, jeg trenger deg." I tell him how much I need him. He hugs me even closer to him, I can feel his body heat. I feel so safe and warm, such a pleasant and comforting feeling._

_I lean forward and kiss him again, every time our lips lock I swear there's fireworks. Thank you God, Jesus I himmelen...thank you for letting me be with Fabrizio, thank you for keeping me safe with Mamma and Pappa too, thank you for everything._

Fabrizio's POV:

_At this very minute I honestly believe I'm the happiest man in the entire world. I look deeply into Helga's soft blue eyes filled with tears of happiness and relief. I dry her tears and she tells me she needs me, I just hold her close to me. She kisses me again, I can feel how much she loves me, how much she missed and worried about me. I'm so happy to be holding my Helga._

_Finally she backs up , I wipe the rest of her tears away with my sleeve. "It's okay now, is all better now." I give her a big hug, she smiles. I notice her father coming towards us, his expression holding not anger, but regret. _

_He walks up and stands in front of us, he extends his hand to me. I shake it and he smiles, he seems to be thinking of what to say. Finally he sighs, "Jeg beklager at jeg ikke lytte til deg, jeg vet du elsker datteren min og jeg godtar at nå." he says. I have no idea what he said and look at Helga. She smiles and hugs her father._

_"Pappa say jeg beklager...he feel not good for no listen to du...he know du elsker meg og he accept den." Helga attempts to translate for me. I smile at Mr. Dahl "It is okay, Helga is okay now, we are a' all okay now and that is all that matters." I tell him. I had already decided on forgiving him, I know he cares deeply for his only daughter and would never knowingly risk Helga's, his own, or his wife's life._

_He is staring at me vacantly. "Fabrizio sier det er greit, og alt som teller er at vi er alt i orden nå." Helga tells him what I said in Norwegian. Olaf smiles and hugs Helga again, he begins to walk with her. He looks back at me and motions for me to follow them. "Du liker å komme sitte med oss?" he asks. I smile, Helga is waving for me to come sit down. I go and sit next to her on the bench._

Rose's POV:

_I had finally made it onto the Carpathia, given hot tea, and a blanket. I sat down on a bench and pulled the blanket up over my head, I hand't wanted Cal or Lovejoy to find me. __Sure enough Cal had come down looking for me, but without luck. I was so relieved. _

_Now I sit here looking around the deck, while there are many crying women and children I can also see many happy reunions. I can't stop thinking about Jack, tears still burning in my eyes. I can see Fabrizio sitting with the Dahl family across the deck. _

_I'm still a little shocked considering the fact I saw Helga and her parents fall from that rail with my own eyes, but they managed to survive and I was so relieved. __I had felt awful watching them drop one by one like that. _

_I had seen the Dahl family sitting around the bench when I first boarded, Helga was crying into her mother's shoulder. At first I didn't know why because both of her parents were there, then I remembered how her father had made her say goodbye to Fabrizio instead of coming to find boats with us. I figured she was scared for him and probably just traumatized in general, I mean who wouldn't have been?_

_I had felt so bad for poor Helga, but then I had seen Fabrizio come out of the infirmary. He had been looking for Helga, he must have seen them and rushed over. He had yelled her name and she turned, staring at him for a second before running and jumping into his arms. She appeared to be mumbling as she choked out more sobs, but of relief not sadness._

_Fabrizio kept wiping her tears away and saying things I couldn't hear, even though I couldn't hear what they were saying it was the sweetest reunion I'd ever seen in my life. _

_Then Helga's father had walked over, it looked like he was apologizing to Fabrizio. After that they all went and sat down together. As I sit here all alone I desperately long for someone, anyone to talk to. I wonder if Fabrizio knows about Jack, I should go tell him. But I can't bring myself to even confront them, for they all remind me too much of Jack._

_I didn't know what else to do, what else I could do. I pull the blanket higher over my head and cry. Cry for Jack and all of my hopes, dreams, and desires. For none of those dreams meant anything to me anymore without Jack. All I could do now was cry._

Tommy's POV:

_Finally my stomach feels a little better and I call the nurse over. "I'm feelin' alot better now." I tell her. She nods "You can go now if you'd like Mr. Ryan." she replies with a smile. _

_I swing my legs over the edge of the bed with a great heave. It hurts a bit but not too much. I make my way outside on the deck, the warm springtime air feels wonderful and the sun is shining brightly down on us. I look around and see Fabrizio sitting with Helga and her parents, I sigh with relief._

_I really am happy for Fabrizio, he has his arm around Helga and she has her head rested on his shoulder. I know they missed eachother. As I make my way over I hear a sniffling sound coming from the bench I just walked past._

_I do a double take and step backwards, I realize there is a lady weeping under the blanket. I gently put my hand on her shoulder and begin to pull the blanket away from her face. "Excuse me ma'am but may I ask why yer weeping so?" I ask._

_The girl looks up and I pull the blanket away from her face. I jump back in shock when I realize it's Rose, what's she doing in steerage? "Rose what on Earth are ya doin' down here lass an' what's wrong?" I ask her._

_She looks up at me with tears streaming down her face, I sit down next to her. I take off my sweater and let her use it to dry her eyes, "What's the matter lassie?" I ask. She looks into my eyes "Tommy...Jack...he..." I put my hand on her shoulder, stopping her mid sentence. I can guess what she's going to say, I brace myself._

_"Tommy...Jack...he died." Rose chokes out, she immediately starts weeping uncontrollably again. I don't know what to do, I awkwardly pat her back. I wonder if Fabri knows, I hope I'm not the one who has to tell him that his best friend didn't make it._

_I know it must be next to impossible for Rose, I never thought it would happen but she did return Jack's feelings for her. Not knowing what else to say I rub her back gently, "Rose, Jack loved you, from the very first time he laid eyes on you he was mesmerized, I told him not to get his hopes up but you guys proved me wrong, I'll bet Jack's watching you right now, smiling." I tell her._

_She looks up at me and manages a weak smile, "Really?" I nod. "I know so." I say. I let her cry for a few more minutes, then, knowing someone is going to have to tell Fabrizio I tap her gently._

_"Alright dry yer eyes for me now, I'm gonna go see Fabri an' Helga, you better come with me." I say. _

Rose's POV:

_I barely knew Tommy but he was comforting me. All these people down in steerage were so kind to me, Tommy knew that I meant a lot to Jack. That was why he was taking care of me. _

_I dry my eyes with his sweater and follow him across the deck to where Fabrizio is sitting with the Dahls. "Fabri! Helga!" Tommy yells. Fabrizio gets up and gives him a big bear hug. "Tommy a' how are you feeling?" Fabrizio asks him. Tommy chuckles "Better just needed to rest fer a bit!" _

_Tommy turns to Helga and her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Dahl, how ya doin' there Helga?" he asks. Helga nods, "Bedre nå." she replies smiling at Fabrizio. Tommy hugs Helga also. _

Tommy's POV:

_I'm happy to see the Dahl family. I want to ask her dad why he didn't just follow us but I decide not to. It seems like Fabrizio had forgiven him already so I didn't need to say anything._

_I look behind me and wave Rose closer, she steps forward slowly. I let go of Helga and step back, Fabrizio puts his arm around her. I put my hand on Fabrizio's shoulder "I gotta tell ya somethin' Fabrizio." I say._

_Fabrizio looks at me suspiciously, even Helga seems to sense that something is wrong. "Rose you should probably tell him." I say. Rose comes up and stands next to me, she chokes back more sobs. "Fabrizio...oh Fabrizio...Jack...he...oh..." she bursts out in a sobbing fit again._

_I grab her gently and hold her firmly to make her stop "He deserves to know." I say. Rose shakes her head "I know...but I just can't say it!" she says. I nod my head "Alright Fabri, I'm so sorry but Jack...well..." Fabrizio's eyes widen, Helga puts her hand over her mouth. Fabrizio shakes his head "Oh no dio mio no not Jack." he says._

_I can see Fabrizio's eyes fill with tears. I nod sadly "Jack didn't make it." Fabrizio stomps his foot and bites his fist. Helga pulls him close and kisses the top of his head, she rocks back and forth with him like a mother rocking her crying infant. _

_I go over and hug both of them, Helga looks like she wants to cry too. Helga and I hadn't known Jack as well as Fabrizio had but we felt horrible for Fabrizio, and I had known Jack a little better than Helga had and had come to think of him as one of my own friends._

_"Come on Rose." I wave Rose over too, I figure she could use some comfort. _

Rose's POV:

_I go and join in the hug. Fabrizio and I are both crying as Tommy and Helga hug us. A few minutes later we separate, Fabrizio looks at me. "I a' know how you feel." he says. I nod "I know, thank you." I say._

_He nods and wipes his face on his shirt. Helga leads him over to a bench, Tommy and I follow. She sits him down and pulls him into her, she begins to sing him a Norwegian lullaby._

Helga's POV:

_I hardly knew Jack but I know he was Fabrizio's best friend. I feel awful for Fabrizio, I know he's sad, I want to make him feel better so much but I know I can't really take his pain away._

_Instead I hold him and sing the lullaby Mamma sang to me._

Fabrizio's POV:

_I can't believe Jack is gone, really gone. I never cry but I can't help myself, as much as I don't want to cry in front of Helga, Rose, and Tommy the tears keep coming. I let Helga rock me gently, she sings to me in Norwegian._

_I have no clue what she is singing but I don't care, it comforts me. She really is my angel._

Rose's POV:

_I watch as Helga rocks and sings to Fabrizio like he's a little infant who can't fall asleep. It is then that I realize how close Jack and Fabrizio really were, I'm not the only one. _

_I don't know how I'm ever going to live without Jack, but I will have to find a way. Helga kisses the top of Fabrizio's head again, I almost feel worse for him than I do for myself. I wonder if Jack is watching us like Tommy said._

_When the ship docks in New York Harbor I step off. It's raining and I look up at the Statue of Liberty. A steward comes up to me "Can I take your name please love?" he asks._

_I reach into Cal's coat pocket, it's the diamond! But I promise myself I will not sell it, Cal would find me. I look up at the statue again, my life as I know it really is over. It's time to completely start my life over. "Dawson, Rose Dawson." I say. _

_He checks off my name. I look up at the sky "I love you Jack." I whisper._

_It would be 84 years before I say those words again._


End file.
